Effects of regionally applied heating on the respiration of wild type and transgenic soybean (Glycine max) plants grown under ambient and elevated CO2 environments

Nocturnal dark respiration (Rn) in wild type and transgenic soybean plants grown at SoyFACE research facility, Illinois, USA under ambient and elevated CO2 conditions was examined in this study. Transgenic plants were transformed to overexpress a key Calvin cycle enzyme sedoheptulose-1,7- bisphosphatase (SBP) which is thought to improve yield in the field by at least 11%. Heating was applied using infrared heaters mounted 1.2 m above the plants in the field during the growing season of 2015 summer and Rn measurements taken for wild type and SBP overexpressors at ambient and elevated CO2 plots from V4 to R6 developmental stages. The objective was to study the effects of elevated CO2 of approximately 585 μmol mol-1 and +3.5 increase in temperature on wildtype and transgenic SBP plants. Measurements were recorded at growth and constant temperature for both varieties. Experimental plants were transferred to a controlled growth chamber at V4 and R6 developmental stages and the temperature responses examined from 15 to 40°C. Specific leaf area (SLA) and its relations to Rn were also determined. Results indicate that SLA decreased significantly relative to control in the wild type and transgenic soybean plants by R6. Differential responses of Rn to ambient and elevated CO2 treatments were observed in both plants. In addition, results indicate that Rn declined generally in both varieties under elevated temperature. Lower Rn was attributed to temperature acclimation.Key words: Dark respiration, soybean, ambient CO2, elevated CO2, transgenic plant, sedoheptulose-1,7- bisphosphatase (SBP), heating, acclimation

EFFECT OF NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE OF BRAINSTORMING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY STUDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Poor performance of students in examinations is most times blamed on use of inappropriate teaching methods. Consequently, the search for appropriate methods for classroom instruction has continued to engage the attention of researchers. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating the ‘Effect of Nominal Group Technique of Brainstorming on the achievement of Secondary School Biology students in Anambra state Nigeria’. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The quasi-experimental study adopted a pretest post-test non-equivalent control group design. The sample consists of 80 Senior Secondary Two (SS 11) biology students from two intact classes randomly drawn from two co-educational schools. One class was assigned experimental group and the other control. An instrument tagged Biology Achievement Test was validated and used for data collection. Its reliability co-efficient was 0.72. Results showed that Students taught using Nominal Group Technique (NGT) performed significantly better than those taught using Lecture method and there was no significant difference in biology achievement test scores of male and female students taught using NGT. The paper therefore concluded that Nominal Group Technique enhanced achievement of biology students irrespective of gender

Comparative study of the physicochemical and bacteriological qualities of some drinking water sources in Abuja, Nigeria

Diseases caused by contaminated water consumption and poor hygiene are among the leading causes of death in children, the elderly and people with compromised immune system. The present study aims to assess the drinking water quality of some selected drinking water sources in the chosen study area using water quality index (WQI). Samples of drinking waters were collected from four different sources- river, sachet (packaged), borehole and well in Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria for physicochemical and bacteriological analyses using standard methods. With the exception of pH, river water had the highest content of all the physicochemical parameters examined. Excluding dissolved oxygen in river sample, the physicochemical parameters of the water sources were generally within the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The bacteriological analyses revealed that the highest total coliform counts of 1.03 (0.08) x 102 cfu/ml were in the river sample while the least counts of 0.03 (0.00) x 102 cfu/ml were in the sachet water. All the  bacteriological values did not meet international standard as they were higher than WHO standard of zero per 100ml. Three bacterial isolates Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp and  Aeromonas spp, were isolated from well water while Pseudomonas spp and Proteus spp were isolated from borehole water. All other bacteria were isolated from the river. The study demonstrates that the safest drinking water source in Idu district, Jabi, Abuja is the sachet/packaged water while the least safe is the river water due to the presence of opportunistic pathogens. Theresults of this study are beneficial for water quality management and could be used for low-cost effective water quality assessment in Jabi.Keywords: Bacterial isolates, Abuja, water sources,  physicochemical parameters, bacteriological parameter

Effects of Classroom Interaction Patterns on Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Ecology

This study investigated the effects of classroom interaction patterns on senior secondary school students' achievement in ecology. A quasi-experiment of the pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. Three groups were involved in the study. The first group was subjected to competitive interaction; the second group was subjected to cooperative interaction while the third group was subjected to individualistic interaction method. A total of ninety-three students (50 males and 43 females) from three intact classes were used for the study. The Ecology Achievement Test (EAT) was utilized as the data collection tool, with a reliability coefficient of 0.96. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) at a 95% confidence level. Findings revealed that students taught ecology in a cooperative classroom had higher mean achievement scores than those taught in individualistic and competitive classrooms interaction patterns. Furthermore, it was discovered that cooperative classroom interaction patterns had a significant effect on students' mean achievement scores in ecology. It was recommends that biology teachers prioritize the use of cooperative classroom interaction to facilitate biology instruction because of its proven efficacy in advancing students' achievement in ecology. Keywords: Classroom Interaction Patterns, Biology, Ecology, Achievement in Ecology DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-27-02 Publication date:September 30th 202

Clarity on frequently asked questions about drought measurements in plant physiology

Drought, or environmental water deficit, is one of the major limiting factors affecting crop yield worldwide. Development of drought-resistant crop cultivars is a major research and development challenge. Drought-related experiments are performed usually to understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance. Such experiments are also performed to develop transgenics or crop cultivars resistant to drought using physiological and molecular markers. Drought-related experiments are executed in growth chambers, growth rooms, greenhouses, wire net-houses or in research fields. However, a plethora of research publications investigating drought has experimental weaknesses and flaws with respect to the approaches used. It is, therefore, necessary for agronomists, plant breeders, plant physiologists, and molecular biologists to be aware of common pitfalls and have the minimum knowledge required for drought measurements. There are several questions that are often asked by students and professionals alike, and these questions often appear on academic social media platforms. This article summarises the questions we have been asked about drought measurements personally and those asked on academic social media platforms. It also addresses ambiguous questions arising from published literature. We aim to respond to them to the best of our knowledge in order to provide a reference point for a beginner interested in performing drought-related experiments. This article will only focus on drought in relation to plant physiology and will not cover the usage of the term or drought measurements in other contexts

Deploying persuasive technology-based model in the prevention and control of malaria in Nigeria to reduce incidence of deaths

Specifically among pregnant women and young children under the age of five, malaria is one of the major causes of illnesses and fatalities in Nigeria, and in Africa in general. According to recent research, malaria-related deaths (MRDs) have risen even though the government has implemented numerous intervention strategies to combat this deadly among Nigerians. This is a result of people not using such intervention methods to protect themselves. Further research into why people don’t comply with intervention systems effectively revealed that the interventions are passive, and sometimes complicated to adopt. Consequently, we established three quantifiable research outcomes that will allow us to assess if persuasive technology is appropriate for eradicating malaria-related deaths. We utilize participatory system design (PSD) and User-Centered methods to collect data from research. The participants provided answers to well-designed questionnaires that were used to gather information to analyze the impact of persuasive technology on the prevention and control of malaria-related deaths. The modeling of the intervention system uses the information gathered from the research survey. The Malaria Prevention and Control Support System (MPCSS), an intervention system, was developed and deployed as part of the research in three phases, and its effectiveness was assessed by an evaluation study. The study revealed that applying the suggested persuading technology-based methodology boosted ownership of mosquito nets, involvement in malaria prevention and control activities, and understanding of the risk of malaria-related mortality

Agriculture 4.0: is Sub-Saharan Africa ready?

A fourth agricultural revolution, termed agriculture 4.0, is gradually gaining ground around the globe. It encompasses the application of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, the internet of things (IoT), big data, and robotics to improve agriculture and the sustainability of food production. To date, narratives around agriculture 4.0 associated technologies have generally focused on their application in the context of higher-income countries (HICs). In contrast, in this perspective, we critically assess the place of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in this new technology trajectory, a region that has received less attention with respect to the application of such technologies. We examine the continent’s readiness based on a number of dimensions such as scale, finance, technology leapfrogging, institutions and governance, education and skills. We critically reviewed the challenges, opportunities, and prospects of adopting agriculture 4.0 technologies in SSA, particularly with regards to how smallholder farmers in the region can be involved through a robust strategy. We find that whilst potential exist for agriculture 4.0 adoption in SSA, there are gaps in knowledge, skills, finance, and infrastructure to ensure successful adoption

Multi-criteria decision analysis for the evaluation and screening of sustainable aviation fuel production pathways

The aviation sector, a significant greenhouse gas emitter, must lower its emissions to alleviate the climate change impact. Decarbonization can be achieved by converting low-carbon feedstock to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This study reviews SAF production pathways like hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), gasification and Fischer–Tropsch Process (GFT), Alcohol to Jet (ATJ), direct sugar to hydrocarbon (DSHC), and fast pyrolysis (FP). Each pathway's advantages, limitations, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact are detailed, with reaction pathways, feedstock, and catalyst requirements. A multi-criteria decision framework (MCDS) was used to rank the most promising SAF production pathways. The results show the performance ranking order as HEFA > DSHC > FP > ATJ > GFT, assuming equal weight for all criteria

Pathways for the Valorization of Animal and Human Waste to Biofuels, Sustainable Materials, and Value-Added Chemicals

Human and animal waste, including waste products originating from human or animal digestive systems, such as urine, feces, and animal manure, have constituted a nuisance to the environment. Inappropriate disposal and poor sanitation of human and animal waste often cause negative impacts on human health through contamination of the terrestrial environment, soil, and water bodies. Therefore, it is necessary to convert these wastes into useful resources to mitigate their adverse environmental effect. The present study provides an overview and research progress of different thermochemical and biological conversion pathways for the transformation of human- and animal-derived waste into valuable resources. The physicochemical properties of human and animal waste are meticulously discussed, as well as nutrient recovery strategies. In addition, a bibliometric analysis is provided to identify the trends in research and knowledge gaps. The results reveal that the USA, China, and England are the dominant countries in the research areas related to resource recovery from human or animal waste. In addition, researchers from the University of Illinois, the University of California Davis, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhejiang University are front runners in research related to these areas. Future research could be extended to the development of technologies for on-site recovery of resources, exploring integrated resource recovery pathways, and exploring different safe waste processing methods